Abortion amendment attracts big-dollar opposition

TALLAHASSEE — A battle among religious groups, abortion providers and conservative politicians over taxpayer support of abortions is drawing big checks this election season — despite the fact that Florida doesn't spend tax dollars on abortion services now.

Amendment 6 would restrict public dollars from funding abortions or health insurance that covers abortions, except in areas covered by federal law. Perhaps more important, it also overrides Florida court decisions that have upheld broader privacy rights than the U.S. Constitution affords.

Supporters say that would create an opening to push for broader parental-consent laws for minors seeking abortions in Florida, an effort overturned in 1989 because of the state's constitutional language.

The amendment would not ban expenditures for abortions in cases of rape or incest or when the life of the mother is threatened, conforming with federal law. But critics say it doesn't extend that exemption to cases where the health of the mother is at stake, and it may also interfere with public employees' ability to purchase employer-subsidized health insurance that covers abortions.

The critics may have a secret weapon: unpopular Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who has been a vocal supporter of legislation to reduce the number of abortions.

In Web banner ads that started popping up online last week, a group called "Vote No on 6" tries to link Scott to the amendment, depicting a woman in a hospital gown who looks like she's preparing to have a gynecological exam with the headline "Does Rick Scott belong here?"

Another has check-mark images of a female doctor, Scott and a cat.

"Who do you trust with your most personal health-care decisions?" it asks.

The banner ads are the first salvo in paid media from the Vote No on 6 group, which has raised more than $1.9 million, mostly from Planned Parenthood affiliates spanning the country from California and Hawaii to Montana and Virginia. The Sarasota Planned Parenthood chapter kicked in $250,000 two weeks ago, according to the latest campaign reports. Most Planned Parenthood clinics in Florida do not perform abortions.

No on 6 has also purchased $1 million in television ad time to hit during the final days before the Nov. 6 election.

"Rick Scott is a perfect example of why Florida voters should be wary of politicians interfering in personal medical decisions," said Damien Filer, a campaign consultant for the group.

But even a million-dollar TV budget might not cut through the clutter in a presidential-election year in which voters will have to wade through a historically long ballot, including 11 legislatively drafted constitutional amendments that each need a 60 percent majority to pass. That has prompted some groups such as the League of Women Voters, which has been critical of the GOP-controlled Legislature, to adopt a "no on all" strategy.

Another group called "Faith Voices Against Amendment 6," made up of Unitarian, Jewish and Methodist clergy in Florida, also has come out against the amendment, calling it a case of the state imposing religious views on its citizens.

But groups backing Amendment 6, organized under a political committee called "Citizens for Protecting Taxpayers and Parental Rights," call the opponents' strategy "bogus."

"It's misleading the people on an important issue. Government should not pay for abortion. National surveys keep telling us that, whether you're pro-life, pro-choice and other," said Jim Frankowiak, the group's campaign manager.

"It's kind of amazing what they're saying and how much money they're spending."

Through mid-September, the Parental Rights group supporting the question had raised a bit more than $162,000 from the Archdiocese of Miami, as well as the dioceses of Orlando, St. Petersburg, Venice, Pensacola and others. The Tallahassee-based Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops is giving "in-kind" support through the use of staff to speak to churches across the state.

But supporters say they've found "slim pickings" when they've turned to traditional donors to support the amendment.

"People thought a lot of the evangelical and conservative religious organizations would be more willing to donate to the cause. We're not going to give up. There's still a little time to get some other money," said Sheila Hopkins, the Catholic Conference's associate director for social concerns.

But, she acknowledges, "it's highly doubtful we'll be able to match them dollar for dollar. Churches are not organized like that."

Howard Simon, executive director of the Florida ACLU, said lawmakers loaded the ballot with hot-button ideological issues such as abortion and "Obamacare" to drive conservative voters to the polls.

"Both sides do it: try to load up the ballot with red-meat issues that will bring out the constituencies you want to bring out, whether they are symbolic or not," Simon said.